List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1978
![Two men with long hair and mustaches](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/England_Dan_and_John_Ford_Coley_1976.jpg/200px-England_Dan_and_John_Ford_Coley_1976.jpg)
Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1978, 17 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Easy Listening, based on playlists submitted by radio stations.[1]
In the first issue of Billboard of the year, Billy Joel reached number one with "Just the Way You Are", replacing "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees in the top spot.[2] Joel had launched his solo career in 1971 and achieved a number of minor hits over the next six years, but his breakthrough to stardom did not come until the release of the album The Stranger in the fall of 1977.[3] Taken from the album, "Just the Way You Are" won two Grammy Awards,[3] and gave him his first Billboard number one.[4] He would continue to be a regular on the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary chart for more than two decades, topping the chart eight times.[4] His 1993 song "The River of Dreams" would break a 25-year-old record by spending twelve consecutive weeks atop the listing.[5][6] In contrast to Joel's lengthy and successful career was that of another act to top the chart for the first time in 1978, the band Toby Beau. Despite topping the Easy Listening chart and placing highly on the magazine's all-genres listing, the Hot 100, with "My Angel Baby", the band would achieve only two more hit songs before dropping into relative obscurity after 1980.[7][8] Similarly jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione topped the Easy Listening chart for the first time in 1978 and enjoyed a brief period of chart success before falling from public favor in the 1980s.[9]
"Time Passages" by the Scottish singer Al Stewart was the final number one of the year. It held the top spot for the last eight weeks of 1978, the longest unbroken run atop the chart during the year. The only act to achieve more than one Easy Listening number one in 1978 was Barry Manilow; as his two chart-toppers only totalled five weeks in the top position, Stewart also had the highest total number of weeks at number one by an act during the year. Stewart had been a recording artist since the mid-1960s and would remain active for more than forty years, but his U.S. chart success was confined to a three-year period at the end of the 1970s.[10][11]
Chart history
![A balding man with a grey beard wearing a necktie](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Billy_Joel_Shankbone_NYC_2009.jpg/170px-Billy_Joel_Shankbone_NYC_2009.jpg)
![A grey-haired man holding a guitar](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Al_Stewart_performing%2C_McCabe%27s_Guitar_Shop%2C_Santa_Monica%2C_California_%28Feb._2010%29.jpg/170px-Al_Stewart_performing%2C_McCabe%27s_Guitar_Shop%2C_Santa_Monica%2C_California_%28Feb._2010%29.jpg)
![A blond-haired man wearing a dark suit, singing into a microphone](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/BarryManilow2.jpg/170px-BarryManilow2.jpg)
† | Indicates best-performing easy listening song of 1978[12] |
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 7 | "Just the Way You Are" | Billy Joel | [2] |
January 14 | [13] | ||
January 21 | [14] | ||
January 28 | [15] | ||
February 4 | "Desiree" | Neil Diamond | [16] |
February 11 | "(What A) Wonderful World" | Art Garfunkel with James Taylor and Paul Simon | [17] |
February 18 | [18] | ||
February 25 | [19] | ||
March 4 | [20] | ||
March 11 | [21] | ||
March 18 | "Can't Smile Without You" | Barry Manilow | [22] |
March 25 | "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" † | England Dan & John Ford Coley | [23] |
April 1 | [24] | ||
April 8 | [25] | ||
April 15 | [26] | ||
April 22 | [27] | ||
April 29 | [28] | ||
May 6 | "Can't Smile Without You" | Barry Manilow | [29] |
May 13 | "Feels So Good" | Chuck Mangione | [30] |
May 20 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams | [31] |
May 27 | "Even Now" | Barry Manilow | [32] |
June 3 | [33] | ||
June 10 | [34] | ||
June 17 | "Bluer Than Blue" | Michael Johnson | [35] |
June 24 | [36] | ||
July 1 | [37] | ||
July 8 | "If Ever I See You Again" | Roberta Flack | [38] |
July 15 | [39] | ||
July 22 | [40] | ||
July 29 | "Songbird" | Barbra Streisand | [41] |
August 5 | [42] | ||
August 12 | "My Angel Baby" | Toby Beau | [43] |
August 19 | "Three Times a Lady" | Commodores | [44] |
August 26 | [45] | ||
September 2 | [46] | ||
September 9 | "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" | Chris Rea | [47] |
September 16 | [48] | ||
September 23 | [49] | ||
September 30 | "Right Down the Line" | Gerry Rafferty | [50] |
October 7 | "Love Is in the Air" | John Paul Young | [51] |
October 14 | [52] | ||
October 21 | "Right Down the Line" | Gerry Rafferty | [53] |
October 28 | [54] | ||
November 4 | [55] | ||
November 11 | "Time Passages" | Al Stewart | [56] |
November 18 | [57] | ||
November 25 | [58] | ||
December 2 | [59] | ||
December 9 | [60] | ||
December 16 | [61] | ||
December 23 | [62] | ||
December 30 | [63] |
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Incorporated. p. vi. ISBN 9780898201697.
- ^ a b "Adult Contemporary chart for January 7, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Billy Joel Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "Billy Joel". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits. Billboard Books. pp. 64, 390. ISBN 9780823076932.
- ^ Newman, Melissa (May 9, 2009). "Billy's Best: A Selective Guide to 10 of Joel's Finest Albums". Billboard.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Toby Beau Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Toby Beau". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Chuck Mangione Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Al Stewart Biography & Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Al Stewart". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 14, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 21, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 28, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 1, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 8, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 15, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 22, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 29, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 6, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 13, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 20, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 27, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 3, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 10, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 17, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 24, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 1, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 8, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 15, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 22, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 29, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 5, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 12, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 19, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 26, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 2, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 9, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 16, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 23, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 30, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 7, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 14, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 21, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 28, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 2, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 9, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 16, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 23, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 30, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
See also
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